Police restarted their underwater search for a missing 15-year-old teen Thursday.
Jordan Wabasse was last seen Feb. 7 getting off a city transit bus in Westfort. The Thunder Bay Police Service first called in the OPP's underwater search and rescue team in February, after finding a baseball cap believed to belong to the teenager.
"Last time there were up in February there were some pretty dangerous ice conditions on the river which limited how much they could do as far as searching," said Thunder Bay Police Services Insp. Andy Hay said. "With the river breaking up and the thin layer of ice here conditions are much more conducive to an underwater search."
The initial search was unsuccessful, but the team was able to retrieve that baseball cap. Since then, volunteers have found a shoe they also believe might have belonged to the missing teen.
The OPP’s underwater search team has returned, and on Thursday was back on the Kaministiquia River.
Members of the search team began in the morning by breaking up the thin layer of ice on the river, and by the afternoon were using sonar equipment to scan the bottom of the river.
Thunder Bay Police Insp. Andy Hay said the sonar technology is more efficient than diving, because it's quicker and the water is murky.
He said this search will be more extensive than the last.
The inspector added that the search team will also be looking at a bigger section of the river.
The length of this search will depend on the ice and weather conditions.
"We’re always hopeful that we can put some closure to this unfortunate incident," Hay said.
The search is scheduled to resume Friday.
